Opportunity History

This publication constitutes a Request for Information (RFI) and no formal Request for Proposals (RFP), solicitation, and/or additional information regarding this request will be issued. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) will not issue paper copies of this request. The information in this survey is being compiled to provide a database of available technologies to be evaluated for benefits to US Marine Corps mobile Auxiliary Power Units (APU). Additionally, the survey will assist in the identification of science and technology gaps and opportunities available to further advance the state of the art. The data fields included are the basic information that will allow ONR to make accurate comparisons between the various systems and equipments of both current and future technology. The responses to this RFI will be considered in the planning and definition of future science and technology development programs. There is no commitment to fund any effort submitted in response to this request. The Government will not reimburse any costs associated with the development and submission of materials in response to this request

Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) APU:

Modular, compact, high temperature fuel cell systems provide a potential for high efficient, silent power for US Marine Corps (USMC) Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) applications. The Office of Naval Research desires to gather and evaluate performance data for high temperature fuel cell technology and compatible energy recovery machinery, having potential application to mobile APUs operating with Navy logistic fuel (JP8) and future alternative fuels.

Survey:

The survey provided herein requests quantitative data for systems and equipment that will populate a technology readiness versus performance database. Performance data for complete power systems, as well as component technology (or sub-systems) is solicited. Data for existing equipment, as well as projected performance of ongoing research and development efforts is solicited. Key areas under evaluation include, but are not limited to, fuel pre-processing, fuel reforming, solid oxide fuel cell stack technologies, contaminant mitigation, power conversion, power management, and bottoming cycles including stirling, thermal-electric and other technologies.

The study will evaluate current and upcoming technology expected to be available for transition to an ONR sponsored nominal 10kWe Solid Oxide Fuel Cell based APU demonstration effort starting in 2010. This system is planned to be developed and demonstrated on the USMC Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) platform. The system should be adaptable to other potential mobile fuel cell APU applications, and be compatible with future fuels such as synthetic diesel fuel and desulfurized JP-8.

This survey effort will define and focus development and critical design efforts towards technologies that provide the best value to performance. The studies will identify science and technology shortfalls in order to focus exploratory development efforts required prior to initiation of the APU demonstration program. This undertaking is expected to serve as the foundation for developing a roadmap to achieve a working model for a mobile fuel cell APU.

We request industry leaders and innovators across the spectrum to provide the survey information for systems/equipment you are operating, manufacturing, or developing which could benefit the effort described above. Responses are requested no later than 26 October 2007. However, surveys received late will be reviewed if time allows. This RFI is a survey of applicable technologies, and is not a solicitation for proposals. All data will be treated as proprietary to preserve the intellectual property rights of the participants.

We request that you provide as much data as is possible to allow us to perform comparisons. All systems, regardless of Technology Readiness Level (TRL) will be reviewed and evaluated. For current systems please provide empirical information as available. For systems in development or planned for development please provide best estimates for the information.

This survey is divided into five areas of interest, as follows. Each area of interest has two pages devoted to questions concerning that particular technology area.

The survey area for each technology requests general information about the technology and the status of the program. Please provide a Point of Contact (POC) name and contact information for the survey information who can answer questions concerning the data provided. The survey asks for a brief description of the technology program and the expected benefit of the approach over current or competing technology. For systems currently in use, please describe the primary users of the system, e.g., power utilities, military vehicles, and commercial operators, foreign and domestic. For system under development or planned for development, please provide a synopsis of the status of the program and the steps required to progress to production and demonstration of the technology.

The survey also requests specific physical and operational characteristics. For items in Development, use projected parameters. The questions aim to obtain a description of the equipment and provide baseline operating data to determine system capacities and performance characteristics. Please provide as much detail, including information we may not have requested or oversimplified, concerning the specific equipment technology operating and performance characteristics as is necessary to accurately assess the capabilities and benefits of the technology. A subset of the questions identify System Interface Requirements. As in the previous section we have tried to identify some baseline parameters for the different categories of equipment. Metric units are preferred.

Industry Day:
Industry Day will be held on Wednesday, 17 October 2007 from 12:30pm - 1:30pm. Industry Day will be held at the San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk, Alamo Ballroom Salons E & F, 889 East Market Street, San Antonio, TX 78205. Attendance will be restricted to two attendees per company.

An email requesting attendance to the Industry Day must be emailed to John Kuseian, john.kuseian@navy.mil; phone (215) 360-5093. The email should include the company name, address, CAGE code, requestor?s point of contact name and number, and the names and position titles of attendees.

Submissions:
Responses should not exceed eight (8) pages per topic area, should focus upon answering the questions within the survey first and foremost, i.e. two survey response pages and six additional pages per topic area, including spillover space from the survey response. The pertinent documents returned to ONR should contain the following information: cover page labeled ?Survey Response? with RFI number, technical point of contact, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address; the survey response. The survey data submissions will be protected from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with FAR 15.207, applicable law, and DoD/DoN regulations. Submitters are expected to appropriately mark each page of their submission that contains proprietary information.

Questions of a technical nature and survey submissions responses shall be directed to the cognizant Science and Technical Point of Contact, Mr. Donald Hoffman, Code ONR 331, Office of Naval Research, One Liberty Center, 875 North Randolph St, Code 331, Arlington, VA 22203-1995, telephone (703) 696-0614, email: donald.hoffman@navy.mil. Surveys should be provided either in hard copy (with one original and two copies) or scanned as a PDF file and sent via email. Responses should be submitted no later than close of business, EDT, on October 26, 2007.